Fauvism was a very brief art movement in the early twentieth
century,
from about 1904 to 1907.
It developed from the work of the Impressionists, Van Gogh, and Gauguin. The best-known
chacteristic of Fauvism is the unnatural or unrealistic use of colour, which is the focus of this project.
(Their work also rejected traditional perspective.)
Key figures in Fauvism
included Maurice de Vlaminck (1876–1958), André Derain (1880–1954), with Henri Matisse (1869–1964) being
the acknowledged leader.
Take a look at these examples of their work to inspire you:
• Matisse:
Woman with a Hat
• Matisse: Portrait of Madame Matisse (with a green stripe on her nose!)
• Derain: Mountains
at Collioure
• Derain: Charing Cross Bridge, London
• De Vlaminck: Tugboat on the Seine
This project is to paint any subject using colours that represent your emotional response to or feelings you get
from what you're painting, rather than using the actual colours of the subject.
For example, if you're an environmentalist painting a scene of
pollution, you might uses lots of strong reds and dark
blues/blacks to express your anger. Or if you're painting a portrait of a friend, you might use their favourite colour as
the dominant colour, rather than their skin tone.
If you've a favourite landscape you may paint it in bright reds, yellows,
and oranges to express the happiness it generates, rather than its actual greens and browns.
